Poundland is to make Poundshop.com the platform for its online expansion plans and ‘retire’ the pilot e-commerce site it launched last year.
The variety discounter is moving thousands of products over to Poundshop.com, from ambient food to homewares, before winding down Shop.poundland.co.uk on 27 May.
Shop.poundland.co.uk opened for business last June, offering delivery to selected postcode areas in the Midlands and north of England from a fulfilment centre in a converted former Poundland store in Cannock, Staffordshire.
Poundland’s acquisition of Poundshop.com gave it nationwide home delivery capacity, using the online retailer’s fulfilment centre in Wednesbury, West Midlands.
The Cannock fulfilment centre is now also to be wound down, with the nine staff working there to be offered roles at nearby stores or Poundshop.com.
However, Poundland is also recruiting 35 people to join the 65-strong Poundshop.com team in Wednesbury to support plans for growth. Roles including back office and fulfilment centre positions can be applied for at www.poundlandcareers.co.uk.
“We acquired Poundshop.com so we could accelerate the nationwide roll out of our e-commerce offer after successfully piloting our own online operation in selected UK postcodes over the last 18 months,” a Poundland spokesman told The Grocer.
“The investment at Poundshop.com means we can begin winding down the pilot online operation.
“To smooth the transition, we will be inviting customers at the Poundland site to shop at Poundshop.com which now also has a curated selection of Poundland brands available for nationwide delivery,” the spokesman added.
Poundland did not say at the time of the acquisition which of the two sites would become the platform for its expanding online operation.
A customer notice added to Shop.poundland.com this week says: “We’ve been really busy loading up the Poundshop.com website with everything you know and love about shopping at Poundland.
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“So, whether it’s our iconic Twin Peaks chocolate bar, our gorgeous #6 Beauty or some of our best-selling Pep&Co homewares, with a little help from us, our friends at Poundshop.com have made their ranges bigger and better than before.”
It adds: “Because Poundshop.com is now part of the Poundland family, we’ll be sending our own pilot Poundland online shop into retirement later this month.
“You’ll have until midnight on 27 May to shop at Shop.poundland.co.uk, so it’s now time to register at Poundshop.com.”
Registered users of Shop.poundland.co.uk are due be notified of the changes by email today (17 May).
Along with new ranges, the signature green of Poundland’s branding has also started to appear on Poundshop.com, in a section featuring hundreds of ‘New Arrivals’.
Poundland bought Poundshop.com from the online retailer’s founder, Steve Smith, the entrepreneur who also founded Poundland itself in 1990.
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